Unbuttoned
by Mizuki1988
Summary: On Graduation Day in Hokkaido Akira is missing a crucial button. Where the heck is it and why is he giggling so stupidly? AkiraNobuta.
1. Part One: Buttonless

* * *

UNBUTTONED

_By Mizuki_

**Part One of Two**

**Buttonless**

* * *

Female whining had to be the most annoying sound in the world.

'Kiritani-kuun!'

'Please, please, _please_, can I have your button?'

'Is there someone you are giving it to, Kiritani-kun?'

'Let it be me! Give it to me! I know you don't have a girlfriend!'

'It would make me _so_ happy!'

Shuuji's classmates, gathered around him like a pack of wild hyenas around a dead antelope, were giving him a massive headache. It was Graduation Day and there was only one last school girl silliness for him to endure – the frenzy around the infamous second button.

'I'm sorry, but I'm not going to give my button to anyone,' he said eventually, straining for politeness. A collective sigh of disappointment attacked him from all sides. One of them sounded distinctly… male? What the…?!

A heavy head landed on his shoulder. Oh. Him.

'Geroff!' he muttered, more out of habit than of actual irritation. Akira ignored him.

'What about me, Shuuji-kun?' he asked. Big watery eyes stared up at him when he looked down and then immediately recoiled.

'Baka,' he swatted away a wandering hand that was reaching for the button in question. 'I said no one.'

Akira pouted, but changed positions. This time it was his arm around Shuuji's shoulders. 'You're going to regret it, Shuuji-kun!' he said in sing-song voice. 'Giving the button to someone you love is a most precious memory!'

Shuuji snorted. 'Yeah, right, you haven't given yours eith - ' he stopped in mid-word, noticing that there was something wrong with Akira's face. The other boy was grinning. 'No way.'

His eyes travelled southward, down the front of Akira's jacket. The second button – the one supposedly closest to the heart – was curiously missing.

Akira giggled.

Shuuji blinked at him in confusion. 'You've got to be kidding me. You gave it to someone? Really?'

'Really,' said Akira, still giggling.

'Who?' was the most reasonable question. Shuuji had troubles imagining the girl that would accept Akira's button – yes, the girls thought he was kind of cute and everyone who arrived at school in a helicopter was considered extremely cool, but...come on. The guy was a complete basketcase and besides, he didn't really hang out with anyone except Shuuji. How could he fall in love with someone without Shuuji noticing?

Akira's grin was sheepish. 'Not telling.'

'What?' cried Shuuji in good-natured outrage. Did the idiot really think he would just leave it be? Fat chance!

He tackled the other boy and started tickling him, not caring what others were thinking. In the end, though, after a couple of minutes of wrestling, Akira decided he'd had enough and effortlessly shrugged him off.

'Sorry, Shuuji-kun,' he said seriously, grasping the front of his jacket. 'If I told you it would no longer be romantic, ne?'

He shot him another mischievous grin and walked off with a happy whistle.

'Aaah,' said one of the girls. 'Who would have thought that Kusano-kun was so cool?'

'It's a shame that he already gave his button!' cried another.

'I'd_kill_ to get it!'

'Yeah, totally!'

Shuuji sighed and proceeded to use this opportunity for a swift escape. After all, it was no use dwelling on the subject if Akira refused to elaborate. One thing he knew, though, was that whoever it was, the girl had no idea how precious a gift she had been given.

* * *

**A/N:** It's my second attempt at a fluffy Akira/Nobuta :) This time it's two parts - it just worked better this way. The second part will soon follow...Don't fret :D

I hope you enjoyed it... Leave reviews! They make my day:D


	2. Part Two: Buttoned Up

* * *

UNBUTTONED

_By Mizuki_

**Part Two of Two**

**Buttoned Up**

* * *

Mariko stifled a sigh as she spied another boy waiting for them round the corner. The nervous look on his face and the way he kept wringing his hands was too obvious to ignore.

'Ma-Mariko-chan!' he burst as soon as he saw them approaching. 'Will you… will you accept my button?'

Just as she had done with the previous three, she smiled apologetically and said, 'I'm sorry, Masaru-kun, but I'm not accepting any buttons today.'

He looked crestfallen, but quickly gathered his wits about him, nodded a few times and took off. Mariko felt sorry for him, but she wasn't generous enough to accept something she didn't want. The only button she might have been tempted with was away on Hokkaido and highly unlikely to find its way into her hands.

'You're… very popular,' said Nobuko-chan softly.

'So are you,' she answered, remembering in wonder how not twenty minutes earlier the quiet girl had had to politely refuse a button of her own.

Nobuko-chan ducked her head to hide a blush.

'I just can't understand why they would all confess today,' Mariko started chatting as the two of them continued towards Nobuko's homeroom. 'I mean, it's the last day of school, isn't it? It's not like we're going to see each other again.'

'Maybe… that's why?'

'Hmm?'

'They have nothing to lose.'

Mariko thought about it. 'Yes, that's true. But if the girl doesn't exactly feel the same, but doesn't object? You need time to work on getting together, and there isn't any left. It's the end after a—'

'Kotani! Kotani, come quick!'

It was Bando, standing in the doorway and beckoning them inside. Curious, they hurried into the classroom.

There was a strange guy standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by people. He wasn't wearing a uniform and generally looked older than a high school student. He had bleached spiky hair and was wearing jeans and a colorful shirt.

'Which one's Kotani Nobuko-san?' he asked gruffly.

Nobuko-chan stepped forward. 'I am.'

'Good,' he thrust a pen and a sheet of paper at her. 'Sign here.'

Frowning in confusion, she complied. Then he gave her a package the size of a shoebox.

'Open it, Kotani-san!' cried the girls excitedly, as the guy rolled his eyes at them but waited patiently, obviously curious as well.

She methodically tore the brown paper and opened the cardboard lid. Bits of silver and gold confetti sprang into view, most probably hiding something fragile underneath. Nobuko dived her hand inside and searched for a good half minute before finally taking it out.

Then she unfolded her fingers. In her palm lay a metal button, round and carved, one of those used in the old-style high-collared uniforms. Attached to it was a note. A 'Kon!' in katakana inside of a large, pink heart.

'A button!' someone exclaimed. 'Who's it from, who's it _from_?!'

But Nobuko-chan didn't answer. She raised her other hand and stroked the button with her finger. Mariko suddenly remembered a moment from a few months ago when Nobuko-chan had seen her eat lunch with Kusano-kun. It made perfect sense now.

'You're going to accept it?' she asked. Nobuko-chan nodded.

'Sometimes,' she said dreamily, her eyes not leaving the button and the note, 'sometimes the end is just the beginning.'

Mariko, seeing the beautiful half-smile bloom on her friend's lips, thought that she just might be right.

The End

* * *

**A/N:**Hello:D Sorry it took so long to write this, but I hope it was worth the wait :P Thanks to all who have reviewed! You're the best :)

Love,

Mizuki


End file.
